Jewish Law prohibits cooking on the Sabbath Day. The definition of “cooking” is somewhat more stringent for liquids than for solid food and according to most authorities, it is forbidden on the Sabbath Day to heat liquids, most notably water, beyond the temperature of approximately 40° C., and also to use liquids that have been so heated. Thus, heating water to a temperature above 40° C. would constitute “cooking” of the water and the heated water could not be used. On the other hand, liquids that have already reached the temperature of about 40° C. or higher before the onset of the Sabbath (on Sundown of Friday) may be maintained at that temperature and, indeed, the temperature may even be raised without breaking Jewish Law.
Therefore, although heating liquids to a temperature above 40° C. is forbidden, there are various ways to permit the consumption of hot liquids on the Sabbath Day. For example, electric dispensers are available which include a liquid-retaining reservoir or chamber and an electric heating element arranged in connection with the chamber which heats liquid in the chamber. Before the onset of the Sabbath Day, the chamber is filled with liquid, e.g., water, the dispenser is plugged in and the water is heated close to or above its boiling point before the onset of the Sabbath Day. The electric heating element is then controlled to maintain the hot water in its heated state during the Sabbath Day. A pumping mechanism, outflow valve or spigot is connected to the chamber and enables the hot water in the chamber to be dispensed into a vessel when desired.
However, according to Jewish Law, use of the vessel into which the hot water is dispensed directly from this type of prior art dispenser is restricted in that a specific procedure must be undertaken to enable use of the hot water for cooking another substance.
Specifically, according to Jewish Law, the dispenser is considered a “first vessel” (in Hebrew, a Kli Rishon-primary utensil) meaning that the dispenser itself constitutes a heat source. Indeed, the electric heating element heats the wall or walls defining the chamber in the dispenser and since the wall of the chamber thus becomes hot, it provides thermal energy to the liquid in the chamber while the dispenser is operational. This extended heating of the liquid in the chamber via the wall(s) defining the chamber causes the liquid in the chamber to continue to “cook”.
While it is permissible to pour hot water from such a “first vessel” into an unheated vessel, e.g., a cup or mug, and then to drink the water therefrom, it is not permissible on the Sabbath Day to pour hot water directly from the “first vessel” into another, unheated vessel for the purpose of cooking food products in this unheated vessel. Thus, water from the “first vessel” may not be poured directly from the dispenser onto food products, such as soup powder, coffee granules and tea, in another, unheated vessel.
Rather, to enable such food products to be “cooked” on the Sabbath Day in accordance with Jewish Law, there is a rule that the water from a hot water dispenser, or other heated source of water, must first be poured into an intermediate, unheated vessel known as a “second vessel” (in Hebrew, a Kli Sheni, or secondary utensil-once removed from the direct heat source), and then, after the water in the “second vessel” is no longer in fluid communication with the heated first vessel, poured into a “third vessel” containing the food products (in Hebrew, a Kli Shlishi, or tertiary utensil-twice removed from the direct heat source).
For example, under Jewish law, one generally accepted method of making hot tea and other hot beverages on the Sabbath Day is to dispense water from an electric hot water dispenser (which would constitute the Kli Rishon) that was previously plugged into an outlet prior to the onset of the Sabbath Day (and filled with water which must also have been heated prior to the onset of the Sabbath Day), dispense the water on the Sabbath Day into a cup or glass (which would thus constitute the Kli Sheni) and thereafter, once the desired amount of water is present in this cup or glass and the outflow from the dispenser is stopped, pour the water from this cup or glass into yet another cup or glass (which would thus constitute the Kli Shlishi). This process is cumbersome and often leads to spilled water and even burn injuries.
Nevertheless, since non-compliance with these rules constitutes an infringement of the Sabbath Laws and since the primary authority for these Laws derives from biblical injunction, orthodox Jews take these laws very seriously.
It would, therefore, be desirable to provide a hot liquid dispenser that has a “second vessel” associated therewith so that water or other liquid dispensed directly from the dispenser is capable of immediately being used by observant Jews to cook food products in accordance with Jewish law.